New Park, Buckfastleigh, Devon

Set on the southern bank of a broad and swooping valley in the Dartmoor National Park, this five-bedroom house is surrounded by its own 28 acres of private land. Wildflower meadows, species-rich grassland and native woodland flank the River Mardle as it meanders through the grounds on its way to meet the Dart. Originally a 17th-century cottage and adjoining barn, the house was combined and rendered in the 1800s and now appears picturesque in soft chalk white between trees from a bend in the long drive. Coming onto the market for the first time in 50 years, there is potential to transform the house into a sustainable haven befitting this idyllic location.

Setting the Scene 

Given the thriving historical woollen and manufacturing industries of Buckfastleigh, it is likely that New Park was originally a wool barn, with horse and cart access via a lane from a road that runs along the ridge of the valley. Converted from a cottage in the 1800s, the house has been incrementally extended over time including an early 20th-century east wing, now housing the kitchen and an additional bathroom and WC, and a mid-century west-wing. New Park is recorded as a farm in the 1871 census, and more recently its rich pasture has been home to a thriving stud of Shetland ponies, and is now managed for nature in a low-impact, sustainable manner. The house is not listed.

From 1856 to 1885, the substantive South Devon United Copper Mine was active to the west of New Park. Most of the mining remains lie beyond New Park land, but one can still make out some of the associated landscaping, including leats bringing water from the moor to wheel pits, and the low ruins of a miner’s cottage and dynamite shed deep in the woods.  

The Grand Tour 

The setting is unparalleled in its seclusion; a long drive leads from the gated entrance to the home, running between a verdant paddock and, depending on the season, banks of snowdrops, primroses, daffodils and bluebells. The house is stone built, with white-painted roughcast render that highlights its elegant proportions. A profusion of wisteria clambers across the façade, from which a neat stone porch protrudes.  

Entry is to the main hallway, a bright space generously warmed by a large wood burner. From here the main reception spaces radiate; a refined dining room occupies a corner position and has two casement windows complete with timber shutters and window seats. A rusticated stone fireplace has decorative strata of slate and granite.  

The country-style kitchen has a side door with convenient access to the parking area and wood store outside. Inside, chestnut-toned quarry tiles cover the floor and white cabinets run along one wall. An intermediate hallway, once the beer store and flower room, with a fitted butler’s pantry, leads to a bright WC and utility room.  

Occupying the shell of what would have been the barn, the drawing room is a long, generous room. At its centre, an expansive bay window and a broad open fire provide light and warmth to the space, orientating views depending on the seasons. The room is subtly divided by a timber panel into the morning room which has direct access out onto the sunny, south-facing terrace and down to the river's edge.  

Upstairs, four bedrooms run along the length of the plan, with a further one-bedroom suite within the mid-century addition. The primary bedroom is vast and brightly lit by a large bay window. There is fitted storage to two walls and a dressing room with further storage and an ensuite. At the opposite end the corner bedrooms/study is flooded with light from windows on two sides, with a family bathroom and adjacent WC.  

The Great Outdoors 

The garage adjacent to the house is built of stone with red-brick details and a pitched slate roof. There is an airy workshop studio above and an outdoor WC and washbasin, boiler room and wood/recycling store below. The large garage at the beginning of the drive was once stabling for horses and includes the old pump that previously drew water from the river to supply the house. 

50 years of careful stewardship has led to habitat-rich grounds that host a veritable cornucopia of wildlife. Opening out to the south of the house is a well-maintained lawn that runs down to the riverbank. It is bordered by mature shrubs and a grand magnolia. Across the river in front of the house, through a wooded glade, the seven acre meadow fills each year with thousands of wild orchids and is alive with butterflies and pollinating insects. A series of broad and flat fields stretch to the west, ending at the established private woodland. Closest to the house, an area once used as a tennis court still retains the structure of its pavilion. It is positioned opposite a curve in the river that creates a perfect plunge pool for hot summers.  

On the bank above the house is the kitchen garden with vegetable beds, an extensive orchard of apples and pears, two low, wooden stables, and a timber and brick former conservatory. The fields up here back onto land managed by the National Trust as part of Hembury and Holne Woods.  

Out and About 

Dartmoor is characterised by its majestic uplands and tors, dramatic moors and secret wooded valleys. It is possible to join the Dartmoor Way and the Two Moors Way from the house, with Bench Tor, Combestone Tor and the upper reaches of the River Dart a short drive away. 

There is a cosy pub in Scorriton, a short drive away. The house is an eight-minute drive from Holne with its community shop for daily essentials and historic inn. 

Buckfast Abbey and Buckfastliegh with its local bread, pasta and coffee makers, wholefood store and small supermarket, eateries, chemist and doctor's surgery, are each a five-minute drive away. Ashburtonand its antique shops, restaurants, cafés, and award-winning fishmongers, is 10-minutes away. 

The historic market town of Totnes is a 15-minute drive with a range of independent shops, stores and markets. Dartington Hall, a historic visitor destination with a cinema and thriving community of businesses and riverside walks, is also easily reached. 

There are many well-regarded cafés and restaurants in the area – including Emilia and Rafikis in Ashburton, award-winning organic pub and dining at The Bull Inn in Totnes and the much-loved organic Riverford Field Kitchen. 

Despite its rural setting, New Park is easily reached by road and rail. The A38, also known as the Devon Expressway, is accessed at Buckfast, only five-minutes away and provides connections to Exeter, the A30 and the M5 as well as Plymouth and Cornwall. Totnes is on the main train line to London Paddington, with a journey time of just over two and a half hours, calling at Exeter, Taunton and Reading or via Bristol. 

Council Tax Band: H